Merkley: Senate Has Passed “The Biggest Bank Heist in History”

Merkley: Senate Has Passed “The Biggest Bank Heist in History”

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Senate Republicans narrowly passed a bill along party lines that will give trillions of dollars to the wealthiest Americans and demolish health care for millions of Americans:

“The Senate Republicans just pulled off the biggest bank heist in history. And they’re delivering the loot – more than a trillion dollars out of our national treasury – to the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations.

“This is government by and for the powerful instead of government by and for the people. It is the culmination of elections corrupted by dark money from the Koch Cartel.

“While the rich gloat over their gold, middle-class Americans get coal in their stockings. This tax scam so favors the wealthy that 83% of the benefits go to the richest 1%. It sends jobs overseas. It increases our national debt. It destroys health care for 13 million Americans while raising the cost of health insurance for millions more.

“And the GOP has made it clear that in order to pay for this massive heist, they are coming next to raid Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

“Just imagine the good we could have done for middle-class America if we had invested the same resources in jobs, health care and education!”